Electric socket construction



Nov. 16,1948., T, G, LEFLER 2,454,069

ELECTRIC SOCKET CONSTRUCTION Filed June 24, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' 44Q INVENTOR. 6 55 ffieqdare Gide/(e7 59 Z0 Y Nov. 16, 1948. T. e. LEFLER3 3 ELECTRIC SOCKET couswnucTrou Filed June 24, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2fffarvzegs Patented Nov. 16, 194-8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric socket construction adapted forholding an electric light bulb.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedelectric socket construction for releasably holding an electric lightbulb therein in such a manner that the light bulb may be expeditiouslyinserted into and removed from position of use in the socket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction andarrangement of resilient lamp bulb-holding or clamping members adaptedfor releasably holding a light bulb in position of use in the socket andin which one of the said resilient lamp bulb-holding or clamping membersalso serves and functions as a resilient electrical contact engaging themetallic base of the lamp bulb when the bulb is in position of use inthe socket.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedelectric socket construction which is simple and economical inconstruction and may be made of a relatively small number of parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method of andconstruction for mounting the resilient lamp bulb-holding or clampingmembers in the body of the new socket.

A further object of the invention is to construct the resilient metallamp bulb-holding or clamping members in such a manner that a lamp bulbmay be slidably inserted into the new socket among the said resilientmetal lamp bulbholding or clamping members and then secured in positiontherein by imparting a slight rotative movement to the lamp bulb. Thisslight rotative movement of the lamp bulb causes the threads on the baseof the lamp bulb to threadedly engage portions of the said resilientlamp bulbholding or clamping members which are so inclined relative toeach other that they follow the pitch of the threads on the base of thelamp socket and thus secure the lamp bulb in position of use in thesocket and against accidental or unintentional dislodgment therefrom.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferredembodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and whatI now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applyingthese principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the sameor equivalent principles may be used 2 and structural changes may bemade as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from p thepresent invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view of the newelectric socket construction embodying a preferred form of the presentinvention and showing the switch embodied in the socket in closedposition;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary central vertical sectional view illustrating theswitch construction which is embodied in the new electric socket andshowing the movable switch contacts moved into open position from theclosed position in which they are shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional plan view on line 3--3 inFig. 4 illustrating the novel manner in which the resilient lampbulbholding or clamping members are mounted in position of use in thebody of the new electric socket;

Fig. 4 is a central vertical sectional view on line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional top plan view on line 5-5 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional bottom plan view on line 8-45 in Fig. 4.

A preferred embodiment of the new electric socket construction isillustrated in the drawings, wherein it is generally indicated at l0,and comprises a socket housing or casing II, the component parts ofwhich are preferably molded of any suitable electrically non-conductiveresinous molding plastic material such, for example, as aphenol-formaldehyde molding resin, or the like. The socket casing orhousing I! includes a tubular portion i2 which is .adapted to receiveand to house the base 48 of a lamp bulb il, and this portion l2 of thesocket housing H has an enlarged flange portion 13 which is internallythreaded as at M. The housing or casing l also includes a base portionl5 which has an externally threaded inner end portion i6 which isthreaded into detachable engagement with the internally threaded flange[3-44 of the portion 52 of the socket housing II. 'The base portion ofthe socket housing H is provided at its lower end with an opening 49 forthe passage of the lead-in wires or conductors 26 and 35 (Fig. 4).

The new electric socket construction [0 includes a pair of resilientmetal lamp bulb-holding or clamping members 11 and a third andsubstantially similar resilient metal lamp bulb-holdan inwardly deformedor offset portion l9 (Fig.

1). These inwardly deformed or offset portions are so inclined at anglesrelative to each other and to the long axes of the resilient clampingmembers I 7 that they will follow the pitchof the threads 46 on themetal base 48 ofthe'lam'p'bulb 41, when the lamp bulb 47isdnsertedihtonposition of use in the socket, for a reason and as willbe described more fully hereinafter.

The new electric socket Ill includes a supporting unit or body '20 whichis arranged within-the casing or housing 11. This'supporting unit 20'maybe "made of any suitable electrically nonconductive resinous plasticmolding composition such, for example, as a phenol-formaldehyde moldi'ngresin, *or'other suitable material. The supportin unit 20 includes anupper portion 2| and a lower portion 22 which are held together in amanner which will bedescribe'd hereinafter. The upper portion 2| of thesupportingunit 20 is provided with-a substantially annular externalflange 5| which is seated in a correspondingly shapdgrooveizformed inthe upper socket section 12 so that the supporting unit 20 is thus heldin position of use'in the socket casing H by the clamping action of theupper and lower socket sections 1 2 and l5,'respective'ly, on oppo-"site sides of the-flange 5!.

The-"supporting unit'ZD has an opening or pas- "sage- 54 extendingtherethrough and a switch-opratir'ig and 'switch contact-supporting rod31 is slidably mounted in this opening or passage 54. Theswitch-operating and switch contact-supporting rod 31 has an enlargedand generally channel-shaped central or middle .portion 53" which isslidable in the opening or'pass'age .54. Ihe'saicl central portion 53 ofthe switch-operating and contact-supporting rod 3'! has a pair of-spa'cedparallel guiding flanges 55 formed in the *low'erend portionthereof and has a pair of "s paced' parallel guiding flanges 55 formedin the upper portion thereof, as the new socket in is shown and seen inthe drawings. The lower guiding flanges 55 are arranged upon opposite 7sides of' the upper head 58 of a'bin'ding post in theiformo'f a metalrivetfil which is mounted in :the lower portion 22' of the supportingunit '20.

Similarly, theupper guiding flanges 56 are ar- "rangedin'opposite-sidespf the lower headSTof a binding-po'stinthe formofa'metal rivet 21 which is mounted in the upperportionil of theswitchrsupporting *unit 20. The switch operating and =contact supportingrod-31 also has-an opening or -sl0t39extending'vertically therethroughand the bightcportion m of-a generally U-shapedswitch =conta'ct member4| "mounted in the slot '39.

extends through and is The switch contact m'embenfl may'be ma'de'of anysuitable electrically conductiveresilient metal and includes a dowerresilient switch contact arm '42 and an spaced recesses or pockets 44and 45 on the upper surface thereof, and the functions of which will bedescribed more fully hereinafter.

A group of holes 23 are provided in and extend completely through thesupporting unit 20, there being one of the holes 23 for each of theresilient lamp bulb-holding or clamping members I!- I'l-lla. Each of thethree resilient lamp bulbholding or clamping members ll'| 1-! la is madeof flat metal stock and a portion of the flat metal stock of each of themembers lll1l'la is deformed in any suitable manner, as by means of astamping operation, into a substantially V- shaped formation, throughouta portion thereof and the thus previouslydeformed portion of each of themembers as seen in cross section,

1 1-! 7-4 l'ais extended through one of the openings or holes 23, asbest shown in Fig. 3. After the two resilient lamp bulb-holding orclamping members I! have been inserted through the corresponding holesor openings 23 the lower end portions 25 thereof (as seen in thedrawings) are bent over under the bottom surface of the lower 'portion22 of the supporting unit 20 and at approximately 'a right angle to thelong or vertical axes of the said members 17. Hence it will be seenthatwhen the tworesilient lamp bulb-holding or clamping members I! are thusdisposed they are held in position in the supporting unit flfi'bythebent-over or angled lower end portions -tially'sim'ilarin designand'shape to the other two resilient lamp bulb-holding or clampingmembers IT, has its lower end portion59bentangularly relative'to thelong axis of the said member-Ila so "as to form a hook-shaped lower endportion 59'to-which the lead-in wire or conductor '26 maybe attached.This operation of flattening and bending the lower end portion 59 of thesaid'member Ila maybe performed in any suitable manner after-the member[1a has been inserted through the corresponding one of theholes 2'3.This'hook-shaped lower end portion of the resilient clamping and contactmember Ila. c0- operates with the deformed -V-shaped portion 24a thereofto retain-the-said member Ha in the corresponding-hole, 23 111the-supporting unit 20, in

substantially the same-manner'as the other two resilientclamping-members H are held in position of useyashereinbefore described.Moreover, the three "members '|1-|1-'I 1a cooperate with eachother'tohold' the upper and lower parts 2| 'and22, respectively, 'ofthesupporting unit 20 in assembledrelationship, as shown in the drawings.

A relatively-stationary metallic contact member 28 is mounted centrallyon the upper surface of the upper portion: 2 [of thesupporting unit 20,

as the same is' seen in the drawings, and is held in position thereon bythe upper head portion 28 of the rivet 2?. This metallic contact member28 includes aplurality'of radially spaced resilientmetal=contact-anns=30 against which the base 48 of the lamp bulb 41seats when the base 48 of the lamp bulb 41 is mounted in the socket Ill.

As shown in Fig. 4, one of the lead-in wires or conductors 26, to whichthe new socket l0 may be connected, is attached to the angularlyextending or hook-shaped lower end portion 59 of the resilientcombination clamping and con-- tact member Ho and the other lead-in wireor conductor 35 is attached to a hook-shaped arm 60 of a metal strip 34.This metal strip 34 is mounted on the binding post rivet 3| below thelower surface of the lower portion 22 of the supporting unit 20 and isheld thereon by the lower head portion 32 of the binding post rivet 3|.

In the use and operation of the new electric socket construction thesame may be assembled with the parts arranged in the positions shown andwith the lead-in wire 35 electrically connected to the hook-shaped lowerend portion 60 of the contact strip 34 and with the other leadin wire orconductor 26 electrically connected to the hook-shaped lower end portion59 of the resilient combination lamp bulb-holding or clamping contactmember Ho.

The metallic base 48 of a conventional electric lamp bulb 41 may then beslid into position of use in the portion 1 2 of the socket housing II bymanually sliding the same among the three resilient lamp bulb-holding orclamping members |1-|1-|1a until the major portion of the metallic base48 of the lamp bulb 41 has thus been projected among, and has beenclamped by, the three resilient lamp bulb-holding or clamping members|1-|1|1a which are spread or forced apart against the force of their owninnate resiliency during this operation. The lamp bulb 46-41 may then begiven a slight rotative movement (in a clockwise direction as seen fromthe top thereof), whereupon the offset or deformed portions |9 of theresilient lamp bulb clamping members |1|1|1a will follow the pitch ofthe threads 46 on the metallic base 48 of the lamp bulb 41 andthus forcethe inner end portion of the metallic base 4 8 of the lamp bulb 41 intoa firm tight seating engagement and electrical contact with the threeresilient contact fingers 39 of the stationary contact member 28.

At this time the slidable contact-supporting switch bar or rod 3153 willbe disposed in the open circuit or open switch position in which it isshown in Fig. 2 with the lower resilient contact arm 42 disposed out ofengagement with the headed upper portion 58 of the lower stationarycontact terminal 3|. However, the electrical circuit through the newsocket l0 may be completed, so as to illuminate the lamp bulb 41 mountedtherein, by manually pressing the switch-operating andcontact-supporting slide bar or rod 3153 to the right, as shown in Fig.2, thereby moving the lower switch contact arm 42 into engagement withthe headed upper portion 58 of the lower stationary contact terminal 3|.During this operation the upper resilient switch contact arm 43 slidesunder the lower headed end portion 51 of the upper stationary contactterminal 21 and the said headed lower end portion 51 of the upperstationary contact terminal 21 seats in the recessed portion 44 of theupper resilient switch contact arm 43. During this movement of theslidable switch contact supporting and operating bar or rod 31 thelatter is slidably guided by movement of the upper flange portions 56and the lower flange portions 55 thereof between and on opposite sidesof the headed lower end portion 51 of the stationary upper contact 21and the headed upper portion 58' of the lower stationary contactterminal 3|, respectively, as the parts are seen in the drawmgs.

The manually operable and slidable switch contact supporting andoperating rod 31, and the resilient switch contact arms 42 and 43carried thereby, will then be disposed in the position in which theparts are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, with the lower resilientcontact arm 42 engaged with the headed upper portion of the lowerstationary contact terminal or rivet 3| and with the recessed portion 44of the upper resilient switch contact 43 engaged with the headed lowerportion 51 of the upper stationary contact terminal or rivet 21.

The electrical circuit through the new socket Ill and the lamp bulb 41mounted therein will then be completed as follows: from one of thelead-in Wires or conductors 28, through the hookshaped lower end portion59 of the resilient combination lamp bulb clamping and contact member|1a, through the latter, thence into and through the metallic base 48 ofthe lamp bulb 41, into and through the filament of the lamp 41, thenthrough the metal contact plate or disc 48a at the lower end of themetal base 48 of the lamp bulb 41, into and through the resilientcontact arms 30'of the stationary contact member 28, thence through theupper stationary contact terminal or rivet 21, through the upper switchcontact arm 43 and the bight portion 40 of the switch member 4|, thencethrough the lower switch contact arm 42 into and through the lowerstationary terminal 3| into and through the contact strip 34 and thehookshaped lower end portion 60 thereof back into the other lead-in wireor conductor 35, thus completing the circuit through the socket II andthereby illuminating the lamp bulb 41 held thereby.

It will be noted that when the slidable switchoperating bar or rod 31and the switch unit 4| carried thereby are thus disposed in closedcircuit position, as in Fig. 1, the switch-operating bar 31 and theswitch unit 4| carried thereby are held in closed switch or closedcircuit position by the latching engagement of the recessed portion 44of the upper resilient switch contact arm 43 with the headed lower endportion 51 of the upper stationary contact terminal or rivet 21,

However, when it is desired to open the circuit through the new socketl0 this is readily accomplished by pressing the slidableswitch-operating bar or rod 31 to the left from the position in whichthe parts are shown in Fig. 1. This operation moves the lower resilientswitch contact arm 42 of the switch unit 4| out of engagement with theheaded upper portion 58 of the lower stationary contact terminal 3| andthus breaks the circuit through the socket l0.

It will be noted, however, that as the switchoperating and switchcontact-supporting mem- *l -provide a -latoh which holds 'the :sli'dableswitch "operatin and switch contact supporting member 37-"53 andthe-switch-unit 4| carried thereby in open Circuit or open switchpositio'n and 'again'st accidental or "unintentional movement out ofsuch open circuit position into closed circuit or closed switchposition. It will be noted, in'ithis "connection, that theforcc'required to overcome "the tension of 'the uppcr switch contactarm-43 causes the contact to be made and broken therebypractically"instantaneously so that any dan- -ger of arcing of thecurrent' betwe'en the upper 'switoh contact-arm43 and the stationarycontact terminal 27, or between the lower switch oontact'armdz and thelower stationary contact terminal 3|, 'is :substantially eliminated or"at 'leastminimized.

During this movement of theswitch-operating and switchcontact-supporting member "31 from closed' circuit or closed switchposition into open circuit-or open switch position, the-switch-oper-'atin'g and switch contact-supporting member -3-153 -is :guided by theupper flange portions '56 and'the lower fiange portions '55 thereof"which slide on" opposite sides of the headed lower end:

portion '51 of the upper"stationary contact'terminal or rivet 2'! andtheheaded upper-portion 580i the lower-"stationary contact terminal orrivet 3 l respectively.

"In order 'to remove the lamp bulb 4'! from the new socket In it ismerely necessary to give the" lampbulb 41 a-slight rotative movement (ina co'unterclockwise' direction as seenfrom the top thereof) -'so as'torelease the lofisetvpor'tions -19 "of the three resilient lamp'bulbclamping members "'lll'l l7a from engagement with the threads 46-ofthe'metallic base'tfi of the lamp --b'ulb 41. The base 48 of the'lamp'b'ulb "'41 may then-be slid outwardly from among the threeresilent lamp bulb clamping members I l-- l l'--I1a which are spreadslightly-apart against the force --er-n1enown innate resiliency duringthis operation so as to enable the base 48 of the lamp bulb -41 to bethus withdrawn from" the socket" I].

' It will'thusbe seen from the foregoing description, considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, -th-at the Ipresentinvention 'provides'a novel and relatively'simple and inexpensiveelectric lamp bulb socket embodying a novel and simple "but eflicientswitch construc-'- tionhoused therein, and that the invention thus "hasthe desirable advantages and characteristics, and accomplishes itsintended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out'and otherswhich are in-herent in the invention.

-I claim:

"l. An electric lamp socket comprising "means including a plurality ofresilient memb ers for supporting "an electric lamp bulb in operative:position, and a switch unit for controlling the flow of electricalcurrent ws'u'ch a'bulb so position'e'diii-saidfirst named-means, saidswitchunit comprising an upper supporting memberand albwersupporting-member, said resilient 'members providing means iorholding said supporting "lnembers togeth'er, a pair of stationaryelectrical contacts mount'edin said supporting members find-adapted tobeconnected to such a lamp bulb and toe suitable source of power,respectively, arid a movable electrical contact slidably mountedbetwe'en'sa'i'd supporting members and movable intoand out ofinterconnecting engagement with said stationary contacts to therebycontrol the open'ingand closing of electrical connection-be- -twe'ens'aid --station'ary contacts.

formed of electrically non-conductive materialpa plurality of elongatedresilient members extend- -ing through said supporting members in spaced'relation to each other'for securing said support- "2. "An electric lampsocket comprising means, including a plurality "of elongated resilientmembers having transversely ext'e'nding projections carried byi'oneendthereof a'd-aptedto engage complementary portions of an electric lampbulb,

forsupporting such abulb' in operative position,

and a'switch' unit f'orcontrollmg the flow of electrical current to-'-such a "bulb so positioned in said 'first named means, said switch'unit comprising an upper supporting member and a lower supportingmember, means comprising the'other *end'por-tion of said resilientmembers extending through said "supporting members for holding saidsupporting members tog-ether, a pair of stationary electrical contactsmounted in said supporting members andadapted tobe connected to such-alamp bulb and'a suitable source of electrical energy, and amovableelectrical contact/slidably mounted-between saidsupporting'members and movable into and out 'of interconnectingengagement with said stationary contacts.

3. An electric lamp socket comprising means, including '-a plurality ofelongated resilient members having transversely extending projectionsformed in one end thereof'adapted to engage complem'enta'ry portion ofan electric lamp bulb,'for supporting such a bulb in operativepositionpand a switch unit for controlling the flowofelectrical currentto such a bulb '50 positioned in said first named means, said switchunit comprising an upper supporting member and alower'supporting member,means comprising the other end portion of said resilient membersextending through-said supporting members for fasteningsaidsupportin'gmembers together, a *pair of terminal contact members mounted in saidsupporting members,

i one of said resilient members forming one of said terminal contactmembers,-andmeans including'a movable contactslidably mounted betweensaid supporting members for opening 'and'closing electrical connectionbetween-said terminalmembers.

'4. 'An electric lamp socket comprising a housing, :apair of supportingmembers mounted 'in -said-housing, ,a plurality of elongated resilientvmembers extending through "said supporting members for holding saidsupportingmembers together, said resilient members projecting fromsaidsupporting members in one direction and each having a transverselyextending projection on one endportion 'adapted to 'engage"com'plementary portions on aIamp' bulb for supporting such a 'lamp'bulbinoperative position' insaid housing, a pair of'electrlcal terminal"contact members mounted in said supporting members, one of saidresilient members forming one of said terminal contact members, andmeans including a movable contact member slidably mounted between saidsupportingmembers for establishing an 'electrical connectionbetweensaid'terminal contact members when such a bulbissopositioned in' saidhousing.

5.'An' electric lamp-socket comprising a housing formed of electricallynon-'conductive material, "a-pair of supporting'members mounted in saidhousing, said supporting members being ing'members' togethezyone of saidresilient'members being formed of electricallyconductive materiaL'saidresilient members projecting from said supporting members in onedirection and each having-a transversely extending bendformed thepr-ojecting en'd portionthereofadapted to'engage complementary portionson a lamp bulb for supporting such a lamp bulb in operative positionbetween said resilient members in said housing, a pair of terminalcontact members including said one resilient member, and means effectiveto open and close an electrical connection between said terminal contactmembers when such a bulb is in said operative position in said housing,said means including a movable contact member slidably mounted betweensaid supporting members.

6. An electric lamp socket comprising a housing formed of electricallynon-conductive material, a pair of supporting members having a pluralityof aligned openings formed therein mounted in said housing, saidsupporting members being formed of electrically non-conductive material,a plurality of elongated resilient members formed of substantially fiatpieces of metal stock each extending through corresponding alignedopenings in said supporting members for fastening said supportingmembers together, each of said resilient members having the portionwhich extends through the said corresponding aligned openings deformedinto a substantially V-shaped formation, as seen in cross section, andeach having substantially flat opposite end portions, arranged atopposite sides of said supporting members in engagement therewith, eachof said resilient members having a transversely extending 10 bend formedin one end portion thereof adapted to engage complementary portions on alamp bulb for supporting such a lamp bulb in operative position betweensaid resilient members in said housing, a pair of terminal contactmembers formed of electrically conductive material mounted in saidsupporting members, said pair of terminal contact members including oneof said resilient members, and means for establishing electricalconnection between said terminal contact members when such a bulb is insaid operative position in said housing, said means including a movableelectrical contact member slidably mounted between said supportingmembers.

THEODORE G. LEIELER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,344,925 Naujoks June 29, 19201,803,849 Elwell May 5, 1931 2,039,957 Hall May 5, 1936 2,071,769Schlicker Feb. 23, 1937 2,346,311 Johnson Apr. 11, 1944 2,424,435Collins July 22, 1947

